Sermon from Chris and Kathleen's Wedding

Isaiah 43:1-7

Colossians 3:12-17

Sometimes we live our lives as though we are on a freeway, racing to the next destination. Either because we are frantic or stressed or afraid, we look forward and go as fast as we can to the next place. If anything gets in our way or obstructs our view we look at it with frustration and anger or we quickly become disheartened. But, sometimes we are able to take on a different view of life, not as a highway meant to be conquered but perhaps more like a river. A river with twists and turns, curves and valleys that leave us unable to see what is ahead, but maybe not so concerned about that as we enjoy the beauty of the world around us, the gentle movement of the water beneath us, a feeling of peace and tranquility, realizing we are not in control. When rough waters or rocks come we gently move past them, sometimes painfully, but with a kind of peace about us, knowing that we will keep moving and that it will be ok, floating through the waters with faith, moving through our life's journey with hope.

The reading from Isaiah is about a journey. It is God's word for a people who have been through tough times. It is about God's promise to restore God's people, to bring back the dispersed nation of Israel from the ends of the earth, to shelter and care for God's people who had seen much suffering, many twists and rough waters along the way. God is offering them words of hope, words of comfort. The prophet Isaiah writes, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” It is an invitation to walk the journey with hope, assurance and peace, knowing that God is with them.

This is the scripture that Kathleen and Chris chose when I asked them to select a Bible passage that reflects both their relationship with God and each other. I can see why it is fitting. As Chris and Kathleen shared with me their own stories and the story of how they came together I immediately thought of a journey. They have each been to many places both geographically and emotionally. They have learned what it means to say goodbye and keep going through the rough waters. They understand that the world is a big place with exciting new adventures but home, family, love and faith are their top priority. The way forward has not always been clear for them, living in different parts of the country and not knowing when they would get to share a zip code, but even though they couldn't see the final destination, they trusted the journey, enjoyed the twists and turns and looked forward to traveling it together. A journey that started at a sports bar in Florida and will now take them to an apartment in Portland with Packer by their side.

And today their journey has brought them here. Somehow from Chile, Thailand, Argentina, Peru, Florida and Portland the two of them are here in Jackson, with their friends and family, standing before God, declaring their love for one another. And so we celebrate, we celebrate all of the journey that has led them to this place and all that lies ahead. We celebrate the joy and love that they share together. Kathleen said that she loves Chris's generosity and willingness to always help others, she loves how much he values and prioritizes his family, that he always makes her feel better about herself and more secure in her decisions. She loves his sense of humor and how much he makes her laugh, and of course she loves that he is tall and handsome.

Chris loves Kathleen's smile and that she laughs at his jokes, even if they are really lame (his words). He loves spending time with her and says that even if they do nothing they still have an amazing time just talking and hanging out. He loves that she calls him Chris Turner. He loves holding her in his arms and says that “no matter how others see me, Kathleen makes me feel special.”

Today they have invited all of us to be part of their journey, to witness their love, pray for them and encourage them as they go through the mountains and valleys. And they have asked God to be part of their journey, to bless them, guide them, lead them and surround them in peace.

The other reading that Chris and Kathleen have chosen for today is from Colossians. In that reading we are called to clothe ourselves “with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” To forgive one another and to let the peace of Christ live in our hearts. And to be thankful, to give thanks to God.

In their words, in their devotion to one another I can see that Chris and Kathleen are thankful for each other, they are thankful that their journeys merged and that their future will be hand in hand. Chris and Kathleen, this passage from Colossians reminds you to stay in gratitude. Live life with thankful hearts whatever bumps may come. As the river of life twists and turns take time to enjoy the view, to celebrate the journey behind you and embrace what is to come. To remember that God is the source of love and give thanks and praise to God as you live in that love.

Right now your journey has brought you here, and in just a moment you will stand here, hand in hand and make your vows. Know that you are not alone on this journey. You are surrounded by your friends and family who love and support you -who will be here for you in your life as a husband and wife. And you are surrounded by the presence of those who have left this earth but are very much here in your love and joy, especially Kathleen's dad, who has made her who she is today.

And you are surrounded by the Holy Spirit, in you, with you, around you, behind you and before you, carrying you forward, around every twist and turn until you reach your final destination in the overflowing and everlasting love and peace of God.

Keeping It Real

Sermon from Grace and St. Stephen's 5/8/16 Acts 16:16-34

Many of you know me as Father Jeremiah's wife and others may be wondering what that woman who sits in the back and is always trying to keep her kids quiet in church is doing in the pulpit. It is not easy making a good first impression when you have two little ones. Under normal circumstances one would like to appear: collected, calm, rational, energetic, able to complete a thought without suddenly leaving to make sure a two year old has not escaped. But kids have a way of keeping you real, showing your true colors for all to see and making you honest. So instead of seeing me devoutly praying in the pews or hitting every note of the hymns, many of you have seen me giving out bags of goldfish crackers, bending over grabbing toys from under the pew and doing a lot of shushing. One Sunday I may have even said “if you two can not behave and be quiet right now then you won't have Ipad time today or EVER!” I know, I know, idle threats and perhaps even threats in general are usually frowned upon by parenting books. But thanks to the two mini people I always have with me you have also seen me giggling, making silly faces, tickling and enjoying hugs and kisses. Good impressions out the window, I am a mom of little ones and those little ones don't let me pretend to have my act together.

Kids have a way of keeping us real. They bring out our short fuses, our insecurities about what others think, our silly faces, ill-timed giggles and even, for my husband, messy high fives at the end of the service while wearing beautiful vestments. They keep us real … and they ask for the same in return. When they have these big emotions that they don't know how to control, when their urges are taking over their little bodies, when they don't understand or are afraid or too slow or too loud in church they ask us to keep them real. Remember who they are, remember their big heart, their innocence, their generously poured out love, their need. Remember when they were that tiny body holding tightly to your warmth in a brand new world. They ask us to still keep our arms open for them even when they push away, to keep looking at them with love even when they scream back. And of course it isn't just when they are little. We have all been teenagers and probably pushed away, embarrassed or insulted our parents. We have all been teenagers or young adults or maybe even full grown adults trying to find ourselves, be our own person, push away and all the while hoping our parents or someone can still see us for the child that we are- our innocence, fears, love, hurts and hearts.

As I read the passage from Acts, I heard this same sort of realness, this craving for love, acceptance and a desire to be seen. It starts with a slave girl. A girl with a gift that was not actually much of a gift to her, but rather a reason for her to be exploited. Like a figure in a circus she was put on display for the profit of her owners. In Paul and Silas she sees something real. She knows who they really are and she is letting it be known, repeatedly and inconveniently. And then she is set free by Paul. No longer profitable, finally seen not as a way of making money but rather as a real person.

Because of this, because they have cost the girl's owners money, Paul and Silas are stripped and beaten and thrown in jail. And that's when they have their next person- to- person encounter. As they are praying and singing hymns in their jail cell, the earth shakes and their chains are loosened. Back then, if a prisoner escapes or is freed, the jailer is held responsible and may be killed. So the jailer prepares to kill himself until Paul stops him. It's crazy, after being stripped and beaten, they are sitting in their cell, chains and shackles around them, their open wounds uncleaned and suddenly they have a chance to get out. They could see it as a message from God saying, “go, run, teach more people about Jesus.” After all, they could do a lot more work for the Kingdom of God with their heads attached. But they stay. They consider the jailer, not as the man who locked them up to rot in a cell but as a person, a soul, a child of God. They share with him the Good News of Jesus Christ. He washes their wounds, he feeds them, he and his family are baptized. A missed opportunity for escape turned into a celebration, a dinner among friends.

And then after that, in the part of the story not read today, the next morning word is sent to the jailer that Paul and Silas can go free. But they won't go. They want to see the police face to face, they want to be seen as people, they declare that they are Roman citizens and the police come and apologize. What a wacky turn of events: exploitation and beating end with baptism and apologies. A story of anger and violence turned into a story of real people.

It is so hard to imagine not taking that break for freedom. Not running out of that jail and instead staying, seeing the jailer as a real person and reaching his heart. But Paul and Silas were followers of a real, in the flesh God who invites us to take his body and blood. God, not high above or far away, but intimately with us, seeing us, loving us, knowing us.

It makes me think of that story on the news about the Pope and the Syrian refugees. For many of us the refugee crisis is hard to wrap our minds around. Five million refugees trying to find a safe place in the world. We see glimpses of their faces but know them only as “they” “them” “those people” or a problem with no solution. A people with no place to go and countries trying to figure out how to be hospitable and sustainable at the same time. It is a massive, world-wide crisis with no end in sight. But when Pope Francis visited a refugee camp in Turkey, he took the time to see this massive crisis as actual faces, with real stories and real hopes. At the refugee camp he got to know twelve refugees and brought them back home with him to Rome. And then suddenly we get to learn more about these people. We hear their stories, learn of their journey and see their tired two year old asleep on his dad's shoulders. Of course 12 people among 5 million are just a drop in the bucket, but those drops in the bucket are real people with real stories and as they asked the Pope to pray for them it was a witness to the world of what it means to follow an incarnate God who sees and loves people. A story of war, fear and survival turned into a time of prayer, acceptance and love. A story of violence turned into a story of real people.

Perhaps in a world full of hurting people, in a political season or even with our own family, this is the best way to keep the greatest commandment to love God with all our heart and soul and love our neighbors as ourselves- Seeing others as real people, remembering that everyone has a story, everyone has hurts, fears and love. Perhaps when we are at our lowest, feeling hopeless, afraid, lost or alone, what we need to do is see another for who they really are, look them in the eye and experience the presence of our incarnate God in that human connection.

Mother's Day is a wonderful day for some, an opportunity to give thanks and love to someone who has been able to see us through our darkest times, love us when we are unlovable, and keep their arms open for us when we push away. But for others it is a difficult day. Not every mother is able to give that kind of love to her child. Sometimes illness or survival or learned behaviors can stand in the way of a loving relationship. And that is a hard thing to deal with. We want to know, at any age, that at the end of our temper tantrum there will be a calm and loving voice to welcome us back to reality. We want to know that when we are awful or overcome with emotions or lost or afraid there is always a place to call home.

But even if our mothers aren't able to be there in this way for us, we know that our God is real with us, body and blood. Our God sees us for who we are, knows our story, sees our wounds, our hurts, our hearts and still sees us as children.

When we first moved here I felt a bit like a National Geographic reporter on assignment. I had never been to Colorado before the interview. When we told people we were moving here they would ask “do you have family there?” I replied “we don't even know one single person in the entire state.” I have lived in Ohio and New Jersey so mountains, bears and altitude all sounded very strange and foreign. My friends and family from Ohio anxiously asked questions about what it was like out here. I remember saying things like “they are incredibly friendly and wear vests a lot.”

Now it has been three months and these strange creatures called “Coloradoans” have become real and beloved people to us. I have already been fortunate enough to make wonderful friends, Jeremiah got to spend weeks in rector's forum sharing our stories and hearing yours, and you have watched my face redden as my children greedily grab cookies at coffee hour, you may have even seen our whole family walking backwards down the hallway because the giggles it brings are irresistible. Things have gotten real.

And as we grow together over the years I am sure there will be many more giggles and red faces. It is wonderful to know that all of us, every single person here, can be who we are because we are children of God. Even when others may see us as a means to an end, a profitable venture, a criminal to let rot, an occupation to hold

accountable or just a number in a crisis, God sees us, really sees us, calls us child and embraces us with the love of an elated mother holding her newborn baby.